Postpartum Psychosis

Postpartum or puerperal psychosis is defined as the acute onset of a manic or psychotic episode immediately following childbirth. It is the most severe and uncommon form of the mood disorders that can occur following delivery and constitutes a psychiatric emergency requiring treatment in a hospital by a psychiatrist. Although episodes of postpartum psychosis have been documented for hundreds of years, there has been controversy over its clinical classification. The argument relates to whether postpartum psychosis should be considered as a distinct illness or as a part of existing psychiatric conditions. Based on recent evidence, most experts agree that postpartum psychosis is not a distinct entity and that the overwhelming majority of cases of postpartum psychosis are a variant of bipolar disorder that is triggered ...